Broken Arrow City Council
Meeting of: 03-04-2025
Title:
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Presentation concerning proposed restrictions of municipal biosolids handling within 2025 legislative sessions regarding Oklahoma Senate Bills SB003 and SB268, and Oklahoma House Bill HB1726
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Background:
In recent years, the recognition and concern surrounding Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), collectively known as "Forever Chemicals," have increased significantly. These man-made chemicals, dating back to the 1930s, are prevalent in everyday items, complicating their regulation. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued guidelines for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water, but only a "draft" risk assessment for their presence in wastewater biosolids, leaving state governments to individually determine regulatory actions while EPA is pending action. With the current federal administrations aim on streamlining government and implementing deregulations strategies, this trend to address these chemical compounds at the state government level is expected to continue.
States have adopted varied approaches, ranging from an extreme non-science-based approach of total ban on biosolid land application to a more scientific-based chemical composition limits approach for biosolids including land applied products; with a status quo approach being the most common throughout the county. Oklahoma's proposed legislation, including Senate Bill SB003, Senate Bill SB268, and House Bill HB1726, currently follows a non-scientific approach that immediately imposes moratoriums and prohibitions uses of biosolids, including land applications.
Broken Arrow Municipal Authority Staff opposes these bills due to the lack of scientific-based evidence coupled with the adverse impacts of a total ban would cause. These impacts encompass increased operational costs, landfill operations and capacity concerns, regulato...
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